Spring assembly units



1955 a. R. BELLGRAU ,726,409

SPRING ASSEMBLY UNITS Filed Sept. 22, 1.951

United States Patent SPRING ASSEMBLY UNITS George R. Bellgrau, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Nachman Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application September 22, 1951, Serial No. 247,818

4 Claims. (Cl. 5-266) My invention relates to spring assembly units for box springs, cushions, sofa beds and the like.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a spring assembly unit which may be readily assembled with either independent or interconnected coil springs.

Another object of my invention is to provide a spring assembly unit in which the individual parts may be cheaply and easily prefabricated in quantity.

Another object of my invention is to provide a spring assembly unit which permits greater flexibility in manufacture.

Another object of my invention is to provide a spring assembly in which the coil springs are supported by a combined support, tie wire and spring clip.

A further object of my invention is to provide a spring assembly unit with a support for each of the rows of springs, which support contains spring clips formed integrally therewith by bending the wire support.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a base support for a spring assembly unit which includes integrally therewith combined individual platform supports for the base of the coils of the springs, and clips to secure the base of the coils to the support.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a bottom view of my new, improved spring assembly unit;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the combined base support and spring clips, shown inverted; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing in addition the base of the coil springs held by the clips.

The spring assembly unit comprises a plurality of rows of coil springs which may be of any suitable or conventional type. For purposes of illustration, I have shown rows of coil springs in which the top convolution of the spring is twisted around and connected as at 12 to the top convolution of the next adjacent spring. This type of construction is to be distinguished from those in which the individual coils are independent of each other. It is, of course, apparent that either individual or interconnected coil springs may be used in my spring assembly unit.

The coil springs 10 are arranged in rows as shown, the number of coil springs in a row, and the number of rows, being determined by the desired size of the spring assembly unit. The unit illustrated is that for a cushion, whereas a box spring unit, or a sofa bed unit, would ordinarily have more coils per row and more rows of coils.

Overlaying the outer edges of the top coils of the marginal springs of the group is a border wire 14 which may be of either round or fiat stock and is generally of a square or rectangular shape to conform to the shape of the ultimate completed unit. The border wire and the marginal springs are held together by one or more helical tie wires which envelop the border wire and the portions of the top convolutions of the marginal springs overlapped by the border wire. The helical 16 generally extends the full length of the border wire and for purposes of illustration only a portion of this helical 16 is shown. It will thus be seen, as shown in Fig. 1, that the top convolutions of the coils 10 are secured to each other and that the tops of the rows of coils are held in place by the border wire 14 and the helical 16. When independent coils, as distinguished from interconnected coils, are used the internal coil springs may be held together at the top by means of stack wire, helicals or clips, or in any other conventional manner.

The bottoms of the coil springs of each row are secured in place and to each other by means of a continuous wire which constitutes a base coil support, tie wires and clips. This wire, generally designated as 18, is of a gauge generally corresponding to that of the coil springs and terminates at its outer ends in loops 20 by which these supports are secured to base boards or other base structures to be used in the finished assembly. Each of these wires is appropriately bent to form clips 21 for providing additional support for the coils and for retaining the lower convolution 10a of each of the coil springs 10 in proper position, the clips being interconnected by sub stantially straight portions 21a. The clip 21 is formed by bending the wire 18 transversely or laterally of the axis of the wire at approximately a angle, forming a leg portion 22. The leg portion 22 is of a length less than the radius of a circle generated by a bottom convolution 16a of the coil spring 10. The wire 18 is then bent back downwardly upon itself in the same vertical plane as the leg portion 22 to form a loop 24 and a lower leg portion 26 which is of a length less than the diameter of a circle generated by the bottom convolution 10a of the coil spring 10. The wire is then bent upwardly at approximately a 90 angle in the same vertical plane wherein loop 24 is disposed and extends a short distance beyond the normal axis of the wire 18 forming a leg 28. The wire is then bent at approximately a 90 angle to .form a longitudinal member 30 extending in a horizontal plane. This longitudinal member 30 is of a length less than the diameter of a circle generated by the bottom convolution 10a of the coil spring 10. At the end of the longitudinal member 39 the wire is then bent to form additional legs 28a, 26a, and 22 with a loop 24a formed be tween the legs 26a and 22a, these portions being symmetrical to those heretofore described.

The number of clips, the distance between the clips, and the size of the clips will be determined by the numher, size and position of the coil springs used. Since spring assembly units of a given size are generally manuv factured in large quantities, these combined supports, tie wires and spring clips may be preformed in quantity of sizes and dimensions to be used in specific spring assemblies.

After the top convolutions of the coils have been secured together by the border wire and helicals as heretofore described, the unit is turned over presenting the bottom convolutions 10a of the coils It and the assembly of the combined support, tie wire and spring clips into the unit is as follows. The tie wire 18, with the appropriate number and size of clips, is brought adjacent a row of springs with the leg portions 26 and 26a of all of the clips extending into the coils 10 in a plane normal to the plane of the bottom convolution of the coil spring, and the longitudinal member 30 extending just below the bottom convolution of the coil springs. All of the clips are then rotated about a 90 angle and slid forwardly until the bottom convolutions of the coil springs are engaged by the loops 24, 24a. The clips are then rotated in the same direction approximately confining one lateral arc of the bottom convolution of the coils Within the loop and bringing the longitudinal member 39 of the clip adjacent an opposite lateral arc of the bottom con volution of the coil spring. It is apparent that in this position because the legs 26, 26a are less than the diameter of the bottom convolution of the coil springs that the latter extend slightly beyond the cross-member 30. By means of an appropriate tool the bottom convolutions of the coil springs and the longitudinal members 3-3, together with the legs 23, 28a, are deformed relative to each other to permit the bottom convolution of the coils to snap Within the space defined by these members. Upon removal of the tool, the deformed portions will return to their normal positions, as shown in Fig. 3. When the bottom convolution of the coil spring is inserted within the clip it is held against movement in either a vertical or horizontal direction. Each of the clips of each row is secured in place in like manner and additional combined supports, tie wires, and clips are applied for each of the rows of the spring assembly unit.

With the clips 21 connected to the coil springs 16 and the latter in their normal upright positions, the straight portions 21a engage the undersides of the bottom convolutions a at opposite points. The leg portions 22 and 22a of each clip 21 pass over one lateral side of the corresponding convolution 19a, and the loops 24 and 24a pass around and under the convolution. The doubled back leg portions 26 and 26-: extend under and across the convolution to its opposite lateral side, and the upwardly turned portions 23 and 28a extend upwardly around this side of the convolution. It will be seen that the longitudinal member 30 is hooked over and thus lies above the bottom convolution 10a.

With this improved spring assembly it is apparent that l have provided a unit in which the individual springs are secured in place and prevented at both top and bottom from shifting out of their intended position. An

important feature of the invention is the provision of the novel combined spring support, tie wire and This element is formed from a single wire and serves to support the clips, to tie the adjacent springs of a row together and to prevent relative movement between the springs and the support and tie wire. it is also apparent that I have provided a combined base support, tying means and spring clip unit which permits the use of interconnected springs in an assembly of this type. Heretofore, it has been necessary to twist or screw the springs into place on the lower support wires and such required twisting and turning of the individual springs prevents the use of interconnected springs. With my improved unit the tie wires and spring clips may be rotated relative to the rows of interconnected coil springs eliminating the turning or twisting of the individual coils to secure them in place. The clip which is formed as an integral part of the support and tie wire prevents the individual springs from shifting relative to the tie wire, and in addition provides a platform to support substantially the whole of the bottom convolution of the coils. The portions intermediate of the clips serve to tie together in spaced relationship the various coils of the row thereby insuring in use the proper positioning of the coil springs.

With this construction a ready assembly of the unit is permitted and a trained operator may complete the assembly of these units within a relatively short time. The base supporting tie wire adds greatly to the reduction in assembly time because of the ease with which it may be applied and secured in place. Likewise, with this type of base supporting tie wire it is possible to ship completed units, or, alternatively, rows of springs held together merely by the wire 18, which rows do not include border wires or helicals. The springs being efiectively secured in place by the clips, the possibility of the springs becoming detached from the wire 18 is greatly lessened. With this added advantage of being able to supply rows of springs clipped together the manufacturer of completed box springs, cushions and sofa beds is in a position to maintain a large stock of such springs clipped to base supports and utilize such rows of springs in any appropriate spring assembly unit. This provides greater flexibility to the manufacturer in the purchasing of his requirements.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed to be new and desired to be" secured by Letters Patent is as follows:

I claim:

1. An assembly for use in a spring unit, comprising, in combination, a plurality of spaced coil springs arranged in a row, each of said springs having a bottom convolution, a continuous supporting wire interconnecting and supporting said springs, said wire having a plurality of clips formed therein and holding said bottom convolutions and a plurality of generally straight portions interconnecting said clips and engaging the undersides of said convolutions at opposite points, each of said clips comprising a pair of interconnected legs extending laterally from said straight portions and doubled back downwardly in the opposite lateral direction around said convolution at one lateral side and moved therearound by inserting said legs upwardly through said bottom convolution and rotating said wire about its longitudinal axis, said legs extending across and under said convolution to the opposite lateral side thereof and having interconnected outer end portions extending upwardly around said opposite lateral side and connected thereto by an upward snapping action.

2. An assembly for use in a spring unit, comprising, in combination, a plurality of spaced coil springs arranged in a row, each of said springs having a bottom convolution, a continuous supporting wire interconnecting and supporting said springs, said wire having a plurality of clips formed therein and holding said bottom convolutions and a plurality of generally straight portions interconnecting said clips and engaging the undersides of said convolutions at opposite points, each of said clips having a pair of longitudinally spaced legs extending laterally from said straight portions and doubled black downwardly in the opposite lateral direction around one lateral side of said convolution and extending across said convolution under and then upwardly around the opposite lateral side of said convolution, each of said clips having a generally longitudinal portion interconnecting the outer ends of said legs and lying above said opposite lateral side of said convolution in interlocking relation thereto, said clips being connected to said springs by inserting said longitudinal portions upwardly through said bottom convolutions, rotating said wire about its longitudinal axis to move each of said longitudinal portions over, around and under the first mentioned side of the corresponding convolution and under the second mentioned side thereof, and hooking said longitudinal portions over said opposite side by an upward snapping action.

3. An assembly for use in a spring unit, comprising, in combination, a plurality of spaced coil springs arranged in a row, each of said springs having a bottom convolution, a continuous supporting wire having a plurality of clips formed therein and holding said bottom convolutions and a plurality of generally straight portions interconnecting said clips and engaging the underside of said convolutions at opposite points thereon, each of said clips comprising a pair of legs having interconnected outer ends, said legs extending laterally from said straight portions and being doubled back downwardly around one lateral side of said convolution and thence extending thereacross in the opposite lateral direction to the opposite lateral side thereof, said legs being moved around the first mentioned lateral side by inserting said legs upwardly through said bottom convolution and rotating said wire about its longitudinal axis, and means for attaching said interconnected outer ends of said legs to said opposite lateral side of said convolution.

4. An assembly for use in a spring unit, comprising, in combination, a plurality of coil springs arranged in a row, each of said springs having a bottom convolution, a continuous supporting wire interconnecting and supporting said springs, said wire extending in the direction References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS of said row under one side of said bottom convolution of each of said springs, thence laterally of the direction of said row over and around one lateral side of said convolution in a U-shaped loop, thence laterally in the oppo- 719155 slfnth 1903 site direction to and beneath the opposite lateral side of 5 746299 DArcy 1903 said convolution, thence upwardly, thence in the direc- 763607 9 June 1904 tion of said row above the second mentioned lateral side 777'2O8 Hush D 1904 of said convolution, thence downwardly, thence laterally 19 1911 in the first mentioned lateral direction under the second 1940853 Fhnt 1933 mentioned lateral side of said convolution across said 10 2O65423 Bronstlen 1936 convolution to, under and around the first mentioned lat- 2540779 Forbes 1951 eral side of said convolution in a second U-shaped loop, 2'579818 Goldstem 1951 thence over said first mentioned lateral side in the second FOREIGN PATENTS mentioned lateral direction, and thence in the direction of said row under said bottom convolution at a point 15 13015 Great Bntam n 1911 opposite from the point at which the wire first passed under said convolution. 

